Combined match deliverer, lighter, and cigar-cutter.



No. 787,834. PATENTED APR. 1l, 1905.

P. LA BELLE.

COMBINED MATCH DELIVERER, LIGHTER, AND CIGAR CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 26.1903.

UNiTen STATES Patented April 11, 1905.

VPETER LA BELLE, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

COlillBlNED MATCH DELIVERER, LIGHTER, AND ClGAR-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,334, dated April 11, 1905.

Application tiled February 26.1903. Serial No. 145,277.

13ey it l nown that l, Parnu LA Bennie, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and Stateof Indiana, have invented certain new and useful .Improvements in a Combined Match Deliverer and Lighter and Cigar-Cutter; and 1 do hereby declare the following-to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to certain improvements in holders or receptacles for matches, and more especially in that class of such devices which are designed to be actuated in such a way as to successively discharge or dispense single matches; and the object of the invention is to provide. a device of this general character of a simple and inexpensive nature and of a compact, strong, and durable construction. which shall be adapted for use either in the household or at cigar-counters and the lilv'e. the device being when used in this latter connection preferably combined with a device forcuttingotiI the ends of cigars.

'l`he invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the inlproved match holder or receptacle whereby certain importantadvantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use than various other similar devices heretofore in use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

'l`he novel features` of the invention will be carefully delined in the claims.

ln the accompanying' drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a perspective view showing the improved match holder or receptacle, and Fig. L) is an enlarged sectional view taken vertically through the upper part of the device and showing the construction and arrangemeiit of certain of the interior parts. Fig. 3 is a partial plan view showing the hopper for containing the matches to be. dispensed or discharged, the lid or cover thereof being omitted. Fig. l is a sectional view somewhat similar to Fig. 2, but taken through the upper part of the device adjacent to the discharging end of the device in the plane indicated by the line u. f/ in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a partial broken rear view showing a modilied form of the device, to be hereinafter referred to.

As shown in the views, the device is constructed with a metal base l, adapted to rest upon a table or other suitable support and having a llat top surface 2. At one side of the base l is erected the receiver 3 for the matches, said receiver being provided with an open top, at which matches may be conveniently introduced for replenishing the device when the supply is exhausted, and said receiver is provided with a cover or lid l, as shown in Fi s. l and 2. lVithin the receiver a hopper 5, the opposite side walls of which have their lower portions t3 inclined or bent toward each other and extended downward at their lower extremities to produce a narrow chute T, adapted to receive the matches singly one above another, as indicated at .1' in Fig. 2.

The hopper 5 has end walls S 8, which are spaced apart ata distance equal to the length of the matches to be used in the device, and said end walls are separated from the ends of the receiver il, so as to produce spaces or chambers ll) and ll in said receiver and at the ends of the hopper, as indicated in Fig. 3, the chamber l0 heilig at the discharge end of the device and the chamber ll being at the opposite end of the device.

ln the bottom or lloor of the chute T is produced a longitudinal slot or channel l2, extended from one end wall of the hopper to the other, and said slot or channel is extended within a projecting part 8". extended from the rear end wall S of the hopper across the space or chamber ll, as shown in Fig. 25, the said slot or channel l2 being adapted to receive an upwardly-extended liange l5), produced upon a plunger Y13, mounted for sliding movement in the receiver 3 beneath the hopper and held for movement on a guide stem or rod la, extended from one end to the other of the receiver, on which stem or rod is held a coiled spring l5, one end of which. as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, is engaged upon the wall at the delivery end of the device, while the other end of said spring, as shown in dotted lines in said figure, is engaged upon the plunger 13 in such a way as to hold the same pressed normally over toward the rear or back end of the receiver 3.

rlfhe plunger 13 is provided with a lug at one side, which lug is extended through a slotted opening 17 at the side wall of the receiver and carries outside the receiver a thumbpiece 16, adapted to be engaged by the thumb of a person using the device, the side wall of the receiver being provided at the opposite end of slot 17 with a ringer-piece 18, adapted to be engaged by the ringer when the thumb is engaged with the piece 16 in such a way as to permit the plunger 13 to be moved endwise in the receiver and along' the rod or stem 14 against the tension of the spring` 15 for the discharge of a match from the hopper of the device.

The flange 19 is extended rearwardly from the plunger 13 and through the rear end wall of the receiver, as'indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and is of a length suicient to prevent the matches in the chute 7 from falling down behind the plunger when the same is pushed forward toward the delivery end of the device for the discharge oi' a match, and on the rear end of the receiver 3 is held a receptacle 31, adapted to contain burned matches and other refuse, and said receptacle is arranged in such a way as to cover the extended end of the iange 19 and hide the same from view, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

At the delivery end ofthe receiver 3 the end wall thereof is formed with an aperture 24, through which are adapted to be pushed the matches forced from chute 7 by the ange 19 of the plunger when the latter is moved endwise in the receiver, as above described, and in the lower part of said opening is arranged an igniting-anvil 20, having its upper portion extended outward through said opening and roughened on its upper surface, as shown at 22, while above said anvil 2O is arranged an igniting-hammer 21, held for sliding movementin side guides 24 24 on the inner side of the receiver end wall and having its lower portion Q3 arranged to extend outward through opening 24: above the extended part 22 of the anvil and also roughened upon its lower surface. The hammer is normally slightly lifted from the anvil, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, so as to permit the entry of the heads of the matches between these parts when pushed out of the device as the plunger 13 is moved, and to hold said hammer pressed elastically downward I employ a leaf-spring 25, one end of which is held to the receiver and the other end of which has bearing on the hammer, as shown in Fig. 4.

Vhere the device is used in cigar-stores and in similar locations, 1 prefer to combine a cigar-cutter therewith, and for this purpose there is a slot produced in the bottom or floor of the receiver, through which a portion of 1 the plunger 13 is extended, as shown in Fig.

2, said extended portion having connection, as shown at 26, with one end of a lever 27, pivoted at 28 upon the under surface of the fiat top 2 or' the base 1, and having another end 29, provided with a cutting edge adapted to play when the plunger 13 is moved endwise, as above described, across an opening 30 in said flat top of the base. By this arrangement the end of a cigar may be pushed through the opening 30 in the top of the base of the device, and when the plunger 13 is moved endwise the play of the edged end 29 of lever 27 across said opening 30 will serve to cut off the end of the cigar in a Well-known way.

In the operation of the device when it is desired to deliver a match from the device the thumb-piece 16 and finger-piece 18 are gripped by the user and the plunger 13 is slid endwise in the receiver, causing the iiange 19 to traverse the lower part of the chute 7 of the hopper, so that the lowermost match within the said chute will be engaged and pushed out of the hopper and also through the opening 24C between the anvil 2O and hammer Q1, the roughened surfaces of which will serve to ignite thematch, as will be readily understood. The spring 15 will act to permit of the device accommodating itself to any ordinary differences in the thickness of the matches and their heads. The match after being ignited will be pushed beyond the extended portions 22 and 23 of the anvil and hammer to a considerable extent, so that it may be readily seized by the lingers while burning; but the movement imparted to the match will not be suicient to discharge it altogether from the machine, so that danger from ignited matches falling from the device is altogether avoided.

Then the device is used in connection with cigar-counters and in similar locations, the movement of the plunger 13 will also serve to sever the end of the cigar as Well as to discharge and ignite the matches; but where the device is designed for household or similar uses the cigar-cutting attachment will be usually omitted.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved match holder or receptacle constructed according to my invention is of an extremely simple and inexpensive nature and is also especially well adapted for use, since it permits an economy in the use of matches and affords at the same time a safe and very convenient means for discharging and striking the matches.

1t will also be obvious from the above description that the device is capable of considerable modification without material deinvention, and for this reason I do not Wish cise form and arrangement of the several IOO IIO

Yparture from the principles and spirit of the parts of the device as herein set forth in carrying out my invention in practice. For example, as shown in Fig. of the drawings, a coil-spring `such as is used in clock mechanism, as indicated at 33, may be employed in lieu of the spring' l5 above described, and being cniiiected with a wheel 3Q, over which is carried a tape or apron 3, connected with the plunger, may be adapted by its tension to hold the plunger drawn over rearward in the receiver 3 of the device.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim. and desire to secure by Letters YPatent, is

l. ln a matcl'i-safe,the combination of a casing having' a receptacle 3l at one end and also having a slot 1T in its Vfront,a hopper arrang'ed in the casing and having' a chute at its bottom and an opening in the end of the chute adjacent to the bottom thereofl and also having a slot in the bottom of the chute, a lixed guiderod disposed in the casing alongside the chute, a reciprocatory plunger movable on the guiderod and having a flange extending upwardly through and movable in the slot in the direction of the length thereof; said flange normally extending through an opening in one end wall of the easing and resting under the rm'eptacle ill, a spring for moving thc plunger iu one direction, and a thumb-piece connected to the plunger by means disposed in the slot 1T.

2. ln a device for the purpose described, the combination of a casing having' a slot 1T in its front, a receptacle 31 at one end, an opening' in its opposite end` and vertical guides on its` inner side at opposite sides of said opening, a fixed anvil extending through said opening and roughened at its upper side, a springpressed hammer movable in the guides and having a portion roughened at its under side, a hopper arranged in the casing and having' a chute at its` bottom and an opening in the end of the chute adjacent to the bottom thereof and also having a slot in the bottom of the chute, a fixed guide-rod disposed in the casing' alongside the chute, a rcciprocatory plunger movable on the guide-rod and having a flange extending upwardly through and movable in the slot in the direction of the length 5o thereof; said flange normally extending through an opening' in one cnd wall of the casing and resting under the receptacle 3l, a

spring for moving the plunger in one direction, and a thumb-piece connected to the plunger by means disposed in the slot 17.

3. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of a casing having a slot 17 in its front, a receptacle 3l atone end, an opening in its opposite end, and vertical guides on its inner side at opposite sides of said opening, a fixed anvil extending through said opening and roughened at its upper side, a spring-pressed hammer movable in the guides and having' a portion roughened at its under side, a hopper arranged in the casing and having a chute at its bottom and an opening in the end of the chute adjacent to the bottom thereof and also having a slot in the bottom of the chute, a fixed guide-rod disposed in the casing alongside the chute, a reciprocatory plunger movable on the guiderod and having' a flange cxtending upwardly through and movable in the slot in the direction of the length thereof; said flange normally extending through an opening in one end wall of the casing and resting under the receptacle 3l, a spring for moving the plunger in one direction, a thumb-piece connected to the plunger by means disposed in the slot 1T, and a horizontal lever connected SO to the plunger and having' a cutting' edge arranged to swing below an aperture in the casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETE l LA B ELLE.

\\"itnesses:

F. E. (larurwnnurr, C. TarLon. 

